1.1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of cancer diagnosis and therapy. More particularly, it concerns the surprising discovery of compositions and methods for the detection and immunotherapy of hematological malignancies, and particularly, B cell leukemias, and lymphomas and multiple myelomas. The invention provides new, effective methods, compositions and kits for eliciting immune and T-cell response to antigenic polypeptides, and antigenic peptide fragments isolated therefrom, and methods for the use of such compositions for diagnosis, detection, treatment, monitoring, and/or prevention of various types of human hematological malignancies. In particular, the invention provides polypeptide, peptide, antibody, antigen binding fragment, hybridoma, host cell, vector, and polynucleotide compounds and compositions for use in identification and discrimination between various types of hematological malignancies, and methods for the detection, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and therapy of such conditions in an affected animal.
1.2 Description of Related Art
1.2.1 Hematological Malignancies
Hematological malignancies, such as leukemias and lymphomas, are conditions characterized by abnormal growth and maturation of hematopoietic cells. Leukemias are generally neoplastic disorders of hematopoietic stem cells, and include adult and pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and secondary leukemia. Among lymphomas, there are two distinct groups: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's disease. NHLs are the result of a clonal expansion of B- or T-cells, but the molecular pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease, including lineage derivation and clonality, remains obscure. Other hematological malignancies include myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), myeloproliferative syndromes (MPS) and myeloma. Hematological malignancies are generally serious disorders, resulting in a variety of symptoms, including bone marrow failure and organ failure.
NHLs are the sixth most common cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. Only prostate, breast, lung, colorectal and bladder cancer currently exceed lymphoma in annual incidence. In 1995, more than 45,000 new NHLs were diagnosed, and over 21,000 patients died of these diseases. The average age of lymphoma patients is relatively young (42 years), and the resulting number of years of life lost to these diseases renders NHLs fourth in economic impact among cancers in the United States. In the past 15 years, the American Cancer Society reported a 50% increase in the incidence of NHLs, one of the largest increases for any cancer group. Much of this increase has been attributed to the development of lymphomas in younger men who have acquired AIDS. Lymphomas are also the third most common childhood malignancy and account for approximately 10% of cancers in children. The survival rate (all ages) varies from 73% (low risk) to 26% (high risk).
1.3 Deficiencies in the Prior Art
Treatment for many hematological malignancies, including leukemias and lymphomas, remains difficult, and existing therapies are not universally effective. While treatments involving specific immunotherapy appear to have considerable potential, such treatments have been limited by the small number of known malignancy-associated antigens. Moreover the ability to detect such hematological malignancies in their early stages can be quite difficult depending upon the particular malady. The lack of a sufficient number of specific diagnostic and prognostic markers of the diseases, and identification of cells and tissues that can be affected, has significantly limited the field of oncology.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for improved methods for detecting, screening, diagnosis and treatment of hematological malignancies such as B cell leukemias and lymphomas and multiple myelomas. The present invention fulfills these and other inherent needs in the field, and provides significant advantages in the detection of cells, and cell types that express one or more polypeptides that have been shown to be over-expressed in one or more of such hematological malignancies.